1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for identifying various operating modes of an electrical apparatus specific to the telecommunication field.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical apparatuses which may assume different operating modes from an original mode include, for example, mobile telecommunication equipment. Telecommunication equipment may be designed as cordless mobile parts in accordance with the DECT/GAP Standard (Digital European Cordless Telecommunication; see (1): Nachrichtentechnik Elektronik [Telecommunications Electronics] 42 (1992, January/February), No. 1, Berlin, DE; U. Pilger: xe2x80x9cStruktur des DECT-Standardsxe2x80x9d [Structure of DECT Standard], pages 23 to 29; (2): Philips Telecommunication Review, Vol. 49, No. 3, September 1991; R. Mulder: xe2x80x9cDECT Universal Cordless Access Systemxe2x80x9d, pages 68 to 73;/Generic Access Profile; see ETSI-Publication prETS 300444, April 1995, Final Draft, ETSI, FR) or as mobile radio mobile parts in accordance with the GSM Standard (Groupe Spxc3xa9ciale Mobile oder Global System for Mobile Communication; see Informatik Spektrum [Information Technology Spectrum] 14 (1991) June, No. 3, Berlin, DE; A. Mann: xe2x80x9cDer GSM-Standardxe2x80x94Grundlage fxc3xcr digitale europxc3xa4ische Mobilfunknetzexe2x80x9d [The GSM Standardxe2x80x94Basis of digital European mobile (radio networks], pages 137 to 152). The various operating modes of the mobile telecommunication equipment are designed from standard features that are specific to the telecommunications apparatus and/or from performance features which are specific to the telecommunications apparatus.
One standard feature that is specific to the telecommunication equipment is the charging of the energy storage (for example a rechargeable battery) used in the telecommunication equipment. One performance feature that is specific to the telecommunication equipment is the xe2x80x9chands-free speechxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9cloudspeaker/hands-free listeningxe2x80x9d.
Reference EP-0 313 776 B1 discloses a mobile telecommunications apparatus (cordless mobile part) which, with a charging shell, forms a (temporary) functional unit in such a manner that both the xe2x80x9cbattery rechargingxe2x80x9d standard feature and the xe2x80x9chands-free speechxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cloudspeakerxe2x80x9d performance feature can be activated.
Furthermore, Reference EP-0-624 021 A2 and WO 92/00640 disclose mobile telecommunication equipment (cordless mobile parts and mobile radio handsets) which can be used to achieve the performance feature xe2x80x9chands-free speechxe2x80x9d. To this extent, the mobile telecommunication equipment has an earpiece which is designed as an earphone or headset and is connected (detachably) via a cord to the handset of the telecommunication equipment. The other telecommunication-specific parts are arranged and/or contained in the handset. In order to achieve the performance feature xe2x80x9chands-free speechxe2x80x9d, it is possiblexe2x80x94according to EP-0 624 021 A2xe2x80x94for the handset to be mounted with the microphone and/orxe2x80x94according to WO 92/00640xe2x80x94an external microphone to be attached to the earpiece cord in the vicinity of the mouth (for example a jacket or shirt pocket), and for the earpiece to be inserted into the ear.
On the basis of the configurations of a mobile telecommunication equipment described above, a distinction is drawn between standard mobile parts and convenience mobile parts.
While standard mobile parts have only the standard feature xe2x80x9cbattery rechargingxe2x80x9d, both the standard feature xe2x80x9cbattery rechargingxe2x80x9d and the performance feature xe2x80x9chands-free speechxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cloudspeaker/hands-free listeningxe2x80x9d can be implemented in convenience mobile parts.
Examples of known circuit designs related to the invention are shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 herein and further explained in an article published in Components 31 (1993), Issue 6, pages 215 to 218; S. Althammer, D. Brxc3xcckmann, entitled xe2x80x9cHoch-optimierte IC""s fxc3xcr DECT-Schnurlostelefonexe2x80x9d [Highly optimized ICs for DECT cordless telephones], (hereinafter xe2x80x9cComponents 31 Articlexe2x80x9d). FIG. 1 shows the basic circuit design of a standard mobile part S-MT which is used in the Siemens cordless telephone xe2x80x9cGigaset 951/952xe2x80x9d (see telcom report 16 (1993), Issue 1, pages 26 and 27) and forms a (temporary) functional unit with a standard charging station S-LST for charging the energy storage (for example a rechargeable battery) which is used in the standard mobile part S-MT.
In FIG. 1, the circuit design consists of a first radio part S-FKT connected to a first signal processing device S-SVE. The first signal processing device includes a first signal control part S-SST designed as a burst mode controller S-BMC, and a first signal conversion part S-SUT designed as a CODEC and AD/DA converter. A first clock generator S-TG is connected to a first microcontroller S-xcexcC designed as a central controller S-ZS. A first BOF interface S-BSS for a first operator interface S-BOF. The operator interface consists of a first keypad S-TA, a first display device S-AE, a first earpiece S-HK, a first microphone S-MF and a first bell S-TRK. A first power supply S-SV is connected to a first connection interface S-ASS for the standard charging station S-LST. The method of operation of the circuit design in FIG. 1 is further described in the Components 31 Article cited above.
Based on reference EP-0 313 776 B1 and on the above referenced Components 31 Article, FIG. 2 shows the principle of the circuit design of a convenience mobile part K-MT, which forms a (temporary) functional unit with a convenience charging station K-LST for charging the energy storage (for example a rechargeable battery) which is used in the convenience mobile part S-MT, and for providing the performance feature xe2x80x9chands-free speechxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cloudspeakerxe2x80x9d.
In FIG. 2, the circuit design incorporates a second radio part K-FKT and a second signal processing device K-SVE. The signal processing device K-SVE includes a second signal control part K-SST designed as a burst mode controller K-BMC and a second signal conversion part K-SUT designed as a CODEC and AD/DA converter. A second clock generator K-TG is connected to a second microcontroller K-xcexcC designed as a central controller K-ZS. The microcontroller K-xcexcC also includes an analog/digital converter ADW. A second BOF interface K-BSS for a second operator interface K-BOF having a second keypad K-TA connected to the BOF interface. The second operator interface also has a second display device K-AE connected to an output of the BOF interface. The second operator interface K-BOF also has a second earpiece K-HK and a second bell K-TRK, each connected to an output of the BOF interface. A second microphone K-MF of the operator interface K-BOF is connected to a input of the BOF interface. A second power supply K-SV is connected to a second connection interface K-ASS for the convenience charging station K-LST. The principle of the method of operation of the circuit design is described in the Components 31 Article cited above.
As further described in references EP-0 624 021 A2 and WO 92/00640 and in conjunction with the Components 31 Article, FIG. 3 shows the principle of the circuit design of the convenience mobile part K-MT according to FIG. 2 and further provides the performance feature xe2x80x9chands-free speechxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9chands-free listeningxe2x80x9d. In FIG. 3, the connection interface K-ASS is connected, preferably detachably, to a headset KSG with a headset microphone KSMF and a headset earpiece KHK.
The circuit design in FIG. 3 shows the radio part K-FKT, the signal processing device K-SVE with the signal control part K-SST designed as a burst mode controller K-BMC, and the signal conversion part K-SUT designed as a CODEC and AD/DA converter, the clock generator K-TG, the microcontroller K-xcexcC designed as a central controller K-ZS and having an analog/digital converter ADW, the BOF interface K-BSS for the operator interface K-BOF having the keypad K-TA, the display device K-AE, the earpiece K-HK, the microphone K-MF and the bell K-TRK, the power supply K-SV and the connection interface K-ASS for the headset KSG are connected in a similar manner as described in FIG. 2 above. An example of the method of operation of the circuit design is described in the Components 31 Article cited above.
There are thus four possible operating modes for the convenience mobile part K-MT: (1) hands-free speech/loudspeaker operation in conjunction with the convenience charging station K-LST and operation on the convenience charging station K-LST (first operating mode); (2) operation on the standard charging station S-LST (second operating mode); (3) hands-free speech/hands-free listening operation with the headset KSG (third operating mode); and (4) normal/conventional handset operation (fourth operating mode).
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, an object of the invention is for an electrical apparatus to identify a number of different operating modes of the electrical apparatus quickly, easily and reliably.
This object is achieved on the basis of a method for identifying operating modes of an electrical apparatus having an original mode in which the electrical apparatus establishes a first number xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d equal to the number of operating modes where xe2x80x9cn is greater or equal to 4xe2x80x9d from the original mode, interrogation is performed at all the branch points to determine the selection feature of the corresponding operating modes in accordance with a decision tree. The decision tree includes a number of decision levels and level-immanent branch points, interrogation is performed at all the branch points, in each decision level, on the basis of the same selection feature; and this object is also achieved in an electrical apparatus that has an original mode and assumes a number xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d of a number of operating modes where nxe2x89xa74 from the original mode, the apparatus includes a means for detecting selection features for the plurality of operating modes; and means for controlling apparatus-specific functional sequences wherein the functional sequences are designed in such a manner that interrogation is performed at all level-immanent branch points in each of a number of decision levels of a decision tree on the basis of a selection feature.
In an embodiment, a number xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d of electrical apparatus operating states, where xe2x80x9cnxe2x89xa74xe2x80x9d, the electrical apparatus is able to identify the apparatus-specific operating modes by interrogating on the basis of a selection feature at all the branch points in a decision level of a decision tree having a plurality of decision levels and level-immanent branch points.
In an alternative embodiment, cordless mobile part that detects the selection features of the operating modes and controls the functional sequences which are specific to the mobile part, identifies the operating modes which are specific to the mobile part quickly, easily and reliably. A first operating mode entitled xe2x80x9cOperation on a convenience charging stationxe2x80x9d, a second operating mode entitled xe2x80x9cOperation on a standard charging stationxe2x80x9d, a third operating mode entitled xe2x80x9cOperation on a headsetxe2x80x9d and a fourth operating mode entitled xe2x80x9cOperation as a handsetxe2x80x9d are connected to the detection means and are designed in such a manner that interrogation is in each case carried out on the basis of the same selection feature at all the branch points in each decision level, in accordance with the decision tree having the decision levels and the level-immanent branch points.
In another embodiment, the cordless mobile part results in a high degree of compatibility between the convenience mobile parts, standard mobile parts, standard charging stations and convenience charging stations.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments and from the drawings.